Getting a little slack on the blogging but here is my update
Wednesday 1/13- rest day
Thursday 1/14 - Gym 5 minute warm up on the Precor Elliptical
Leg workout as followe
Quad Extensions, Hamstring curls, Seated Leg Press machine, Calf raises
24 total reps each, as heavy as I could go and still do a set of 6 or more. 1 min rest, moving quickly
Calf raises with a 20lb dumbell, sets of 10 till I began to cramp
Finnish off with 10 minsutes on the bike
Friday 1/15 - Gym legs were heavy from the day before, but not sore. Kinda surprised at that.
20 minutes on the Precor light resistance his cadence
Hanging ab leg raises, 3 sets
20 minutes on the bike - light resistance with 1 minute standing sprints moderate resistance every 5 minutes followed by 30 sec. seated before returning to light resistance
Sat - 1/16 legs feel pretty good, plan on riding today. Will update later I hope.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Workouts1/11 - 1/12
Tuesday 1/12
Wii EA Active Personal Trainer 30 day challenge
High Intensity - still tough, great lunges and jumps on this one.
Monday 1/11
30 mins on the Precor free stepper. Pace HR, 145-160
10 mins hanging leg raises for the abs
Wii EA Active Personal Trainer 30 day challenge
High Intensity - still tough, great lunges and jumps on this one.
Monday 1/11
30 mins on the Precor free stepper. Pace HR, 145-160
10 mins hanging leg raises for the abs
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Weekend workouts 1/8-1/10
Friday 1/8
Precor free stepper elliptical - 30 mins at 150-160 HR
15 mins Spinning, ultra high tension spins up with 1 recovery beteween each set
Saturday 1/9
Day 3 of the 30 day Wii Active workout - still really good, tough workouts
walked Concord Mills Mall for 3 hours!
Sunday - Lets Ride! The mud and stream feeders were frozen! Temps in the low thirties, good ride though.
Did a good solid ride at South Side
Left loop to High and Dry back to the main loop
River trail to Outlaw to the Playground trail back to Lizzard
Lizzard backwards to the bottom of centerline and then up!
Precor free stepper elliptical - 30 mins at 150-160 HR
15 mins Spinning, ultra high tension spins up with 1 recovery beteween each set
Saturday 1/9
Day 3 of the 30 day Wii Active workout - still really good, tough workouts
walked Concord Mills Mall for 3 hours!
Sunday - Lets Ride! The mud and stream feeders were frozen! Temps in the low thirties, good ride though.
Did a good solid ride at South Side
Left loop to High and Dry back to the main loop
River trail to Outlaw to the Playground trail back to Lizzard
Lizzard backwards to the bottom of centerline and then up!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Workout 1/7/10
At home - 30 mins pace (140-150 HR) on the bike trainer
15 minutes - immediately off the bike onto the elliptical at 150-10 HR
10 min ab work on the floor
15 minutes - immediately off the bike onto the elliptical at 150-10 HR
10 min ab work on the floor
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Workout 1/6/10
Rest day - went to lunch with a crowd from work. At home, did about 20 minutes of stretching to loosed up. Got a massage today, it did wonders for my back but its still not 100%. Back to the grindstone tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Work out 1/5/10
At the gym at work:
10 minute warm up on the Precor free stepper elliptical
2 sets - hanging ab crunch leg lifts
30 minute Spin and Pump class - Spinning sessions interrupted by sets of upper body with resistance bands and dumbells. All done on the bike. It was a great workout. Arms and legs were fired up afterwards
At home:
Wii Active work out 2, on moderate level. Took 32 minutes to finnish and worked up a serious sweat, legs were once again fired up as well as my biceps and shoulders this time.
10 minute warm up on the Precor free stepper elliptical
2 sets - hanging ab crunch leg lifts
30 minute Spin and Pump class - Spinning sessions interrupted by sets of upper body with resistance bands and dumbells. All done on the bike. It was a great workout. Arms and legs were fired up afterwards
At home:
Wii Active work out 2, on moderate level. Took 32 minutes to finnish and worked up a serious sweat, legs were once again fired up as well as my biceps and shoulders this time.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Daily Food Log
I will try to post everything I eat and drink here each day. Seeing it may help me change my ways.
What i eat
eggs - Egglands Best or similar Omega 3 or organic eggs only
Bread - Natures own double fiber
cheddar - Cabot 50% reduced fat white cheddar, only available at Sams Club
Peanut butter - Smuckers all natural (only ingredient is pea nuts)
1/11 - 1/12
Monday and Tuesday
Fairly simple diet, standard lunches and dinners within the lists below
I have been hungrier than normal at night, snacking but not out of control. The snacks are almost gone and won't be replaced! I need to have a protien shake or something healthy as soon as I get out of work or the gym to keep from having the crash/craving cycle.
1/8-1/10
Not too bad
Pancakes with Turkey Sausage and sugrar free suyrup on Sat and Sunday
a little junk food, but in control
Sandwich with baked lays
Cracker Barrell Saturday night
1/7
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
Bfast 9am= 1 slice w/p nut butter and 2 boiled eggs
11am snack - 1/2 deli ham sandwich
lunch - hand and cheese on whole grain with mixed greens, low fat cheese and mustard
dinner - home made veggie soup and 2 slices of cornbread, made low fat.
late snack - Fruit2Day fruit jug (8oz fresh fruit pruee)
junk - 3ozs of Knob Creek Bourbon with a splash of Blenhiems Gingerale and squirt of lime....Ahhhhhhhhhh!
1/6/10
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
breakfast 9:30 - whole grain flat roll w/Pnut butter, banana, 2 boiled eggs
lunch - grilled chicken Ceasar Salad with feta and water
Dinner - grilled low fat ham and cheese on whole grain bread and baked lays
junk - ate 3 pieces of left over Christmas candy, oh well, had to splurge
1/5
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
breakfast 9:30 - 1 slice bread w/Pnut butter, banana, 2 boiled eggs
11 am snack - bread w/Pnut butter
Lunch - 2pm - 1 eft over fajitas wrap from 1/4, 2 clementines no rice
Dinner - organic mixed greens, with grilled pork, bagel chips in salad and 2 boiled eggs, coke Zero
1/4/10
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
breakfast at 9:30 slice of double fiber bread with Pnut butter and 2 boiled eggs
Lunch - turkey sandwichon with cheddar, mustard and a bowl of fruit
Late Snack - Banana
Dinner - homemade Fajitas, chicken, peppers and onions on whole grain tortillas with Spanish rice and tomatoes, coke Zero
What i eat
eggs - Egglands Best or similar Omega 3 or organic eggs only
Bread - Natures own double fiber
cheddar - Cabot 50% reduced fat white cheddar, only available at Sams Club
Peanut butter - Smuckers all natural (only ingredient is pea nuts)
1/11 - 1/12
Monday and Tuesday
Fairly simple diet, standard lunches and dinners within the lists below
I have been hungrier than normal at night, snacking but not out of control. The snacks are almost gone and won't be replaced! I need to have a protien shake or something healthy as soon as I get out of work or the gym to keep from having the crash/craving cycle.
1/8-1/10
Not too bad
Pancakes with Turkey Sausage and sugrar free suyrup on Sat and Sunday
a little junk food, but in control
Sandwich with baked lays
Cracker Barrell Saturday night
1/7
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
Bfast 9am= 1 slice w/p nut butter and 2 boiled eggs
11am snack - 1/2 deli ham sandwich
lunch - hand and cheese on whole grain with mixed greens, low fat cheese and mustard
dinner - home made veggie soup and 2 slices of cornbread, made low fat.
late snack - Fruit2Day fruit jug (8oz fresh fruit pruee)
junk - 3ozs of Knob Creek Bourbon with a splash of Blenhiems Gingerale and squirt of lime....Ahhhhhhhhhh!
1/6/10
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
breakfast 9:30 - whole grain flat roll w/Pnut butter, banana, 2 boiled eggs
lunch - grilled chicken Ceasar Salad with feta and water
Dinner - grilled low fat ham and cheese on whole grain bread and baked lays
junk - ate 3 pieces of left over Christmas candy, oh well, had to splurge
1/5
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
breakfast 9:30 - 1 slice bread w/Pnut butter, banana, 2 boiled eggs
11 am snack - bread w/Pnut butter
Lunch - 2pm - 1 eft over fajitas wrap from 1/4, 2 clementines no rice
Dinner - organic mixed greens, with grilled pork, bagel chips in salad and 2 boiled eggs, coke Zero
1/4/10
sun rise 6:15a.m. 6oz of super fruit juice 8 oz protein drink
breakfast at 9:30 slice of double fiber bread with Pnut butter and 2 boiled eggs
Lunch - turkey sandwichon with cheddar, mustard and a bowl of fruit
Late Snack - Banana
Dinner - homemade Fajitas, chicken, peppers and onions on whole grain tortillas with Spanish rice and tomatoes, coke Zero
Workout 1/4/10
Back at work today. It was an uneventful return to the grind, which is always good. I hit the gym at lunch time and did 40 minutes on the spin bike. I estimate the HR data below anyway, I still need a battery for my HR watch! I'm satisfied with my efforts, I really just wanted to work out the lactic acid and soreness. The squats and lunges on the Wii yesterday left me with pretty heavy legs today. Which is great!
Summary: 40 Minute workout on a Spinner NXT bike
5 min warm up
5 min at 60% LT
1 min all out Standing Sprint 95% effort
5 min at 60% LT
1 min all out Standing Sprint 95% effort
10 min at 60% LT
1 min all out Standing Sprint 95% effort
5 min at 60% LT
1 min seated, max resistance I could sustain
5 min at 60% LT
1 min cool down
Summary: 40 Minute workout on a Spinner NXT bike
5 min warm up
5 min at 60% LT
1 min all out Standing Sprint 95% effort
5 min at 60% LT
1 min all out Standing Sprint 95% effort
10 min at 60% LT
1 min all out Standing Sprint 95% effort
5 min at 60% LT
1 min seated, max resistance I could sustain
5 min at 60% LT
1 min cool down
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Workout 1/3/10
Bought EA Active Personal Trainer for the Wii today. Wow, what a workout. I went through the setup typical of Wii, I input some personal data and designed a character that looks something like me and all was set.
My wife and I watched the introductory videos and figured out the basics. The game asks you perform controlled movements, with proper form and timing. You also have to make sure the remote and nunchuck are oriented correctly at the beginning and end of each rep. During certain exercises your movements are not registered correctly if they are not pointed in the right direction. The instructional videos do a good job of explaining this.
I decided to start a 30 day challenge right off the bat. In retrospect, it was not the thing to do right away. You can do individual exercises and that would be a better way to get familiar with the game play. You can also select from 3 intensity levels. Not giving this thing much credit, I selected to start my 30 day challenge on the highest level. It showed me the list of muscle groups to be addressed and off I went. A really hard 30 minute workout ensued. The cool thing is, every workout is different, so I don't know what is in store for me.
Lower body movements consisted of walking and running in place, high kicks (butt kickers we used to call them) lunges, squats and jumping. The nunchuck goes in a band around your leg and does a good job of keeping your form in check. My legs especially got blasted. In fact, they are still sore and I'm sure they will be for a couple of days. Nothing I have done has fired up my legs like this. Spin class, biking, leg machines in the gym, nothing has done this. I credit the jumps and the lunges, which I would never just do on my own. It was kinda like Plyometrics, which are great and suck and I cannot make myself do them on a regular basis.
Upper body movements are tracked by holding the remote and nunchuck in each hand and using a resistance band. The game comes with one but it does not provide much resistance. I bought a high resistance band at Target when I bought the game and I used it instead. The nice round handles on the band I bought made holding the remotes and the band at the same time difficult but I managed. I may cut the nice handles off and just leave the nylon strap to hold. The one that comes with the game is like that. The upper body workout was not bad. The band I bought was a good choice for me, easy enough to get through the sets and keep the heart rate up. Not like lifting weights, but a good workout. I did bicep curls and shoulder raises and bent over rows. All of these are pretty effective with resistance bands.
I hope to continue on my advanced level 30 day challenge. It was tough and I probably should do the intermediate level first but I'm going to plow through for now. My plan is to do the Wii routine each day (21 workouts in the 30 day challenge I think) in addition to my gym work and riding. The Wii alone would be a good routine for someone who didn't work out at all, but is not enough for me.
My wife and I watched the introductory videos and figured out the basics. The game asks you perform controlled movements, with proper form and timing. You also have to make sure the remote and nunchuck are oriented correctly at the beginning and end of each rep. During certain exercises your movements are not registered correctly if they are not pointed in the right direction. The instructional videos do a good job of explaining this.
I decided to start a 30 day challenge right off the bat. In retrospect, it was not the thing to do right away. You can do individual exercises and that would be a better way to get familiar with the game play. You can also select from 3 intensity levels. Not giving this thing much credit, I selected to start my 30 day challenge on the highest level. It showed me the list of muscle groups to be addressed and off I went. A really hard 30 minute workout ensued. The cool thing is, every workout is different, so I don't know what is in store for me.
Lower body movements consisted of walking and running in place, high kicks (butt kickers we used to call them) lunges, squats and jumping. The nunchuck goes in a band around your leg and does a good job of keeping your form in check. My legs especially got blasted. In fact, they are still sore and I'm sure they will be for a couple of days. Nothing I have done has fired up my legs like this. Spin class, biking, leg machines in the gym, nothing has done this. I credit the jumps and the lunges, which I would never just do on my own. It was kinda like Plyometrics, which are great and suck and I cannot make myself do them on a regular basis.
Upper body movements are tracked by holding the remote and nunchuck in each hand and using a resistance band. The game comes with one but it does not provide much resistance. I bought a high resistance band at Target when I bought the game and I used it instead. The nice round handles on the band I bought made holding the remotes and the band at the same time difficult but I managed. I may cut the nice handles off and just leave the nylon strap to hold. The one that comes with the game is like that. The upper body workout was not bad. The band I bought was a good choice for me, easy enough to get through the sets and keep the heart rate up. Not like lifting weights, but a good workout. I did bicep curls and shoulder raises and bent over rows. All of these are pretty effective with resistance bands.
I hope to continue on my advanced level 30 day challenge. It was tough and I probably should do the intermediate level first but I'm going to plow through for now. My plan is to do the Wii routine each day (21 workouts in the 30 day challenge I think) in addition to my gym work and riding. The Wii alone would be a good routine for someone who didn't work out at all, but is not enough for me.
Workout 1 1/2/10
At home in my gym.
20 mins on the Elliptical, warm up then 15 mins at 150-160 HR.
10 mins bag work, a punch/ squat combo I made up. It works. The legs are sore today, and when I got back on the Elliptical the HR was still almost 150
10 mins back on the elliptical at 155-165 HR this time
10 mins on the Vew-Do Balance board, "surfing" as my daughter says and doing balance squats. The balancing is great I think to improve stabilizer muscles and perhaps ward off injury.
10 mins back and ab work on the stability ball, also to work on muscle imbalances and strengthen core and stabilizer muscles. I feel like the stability work on the ball and board will pay off when I have to make dynamic moves on the trail to prevent a crash, or when I actually fall. And, I will fall, oh yeah, it happens.
So, an hour total, not bad for a lazy Saturday, when there is plenty of beer and bourbon in stock. I will do something similar today. More later.
20 mins on the Elliptical, warm up then 15 mins at 150-160 HR.
10 mins bag work, a punch/ squat combo I made up. It works. The legs are sore today, and when I got back on the Elliptical the HR was still almost 150
10 mins back on the elliptical at 155-165 HR this time
10 mins on the Vew-Do Balance board, "surfing" as my daughter says and doing balance squats. The balancing is great I think to improve stabilizer muscles and perhaps ward off injury.
10 mins back and ab work on the stability ball, also to work on muscle imbalances and strengthen core and stabilizer muscles. I feel like the stability work on the ball and board will pay off when I have to make dynamic moves on the trail to prevent a crash, or when I actually fall. And, I will fall, oh yeah, it happens.
So, an hour total, not bad for a lazy Saturday, when there is plenty of beer and bourbon in stock. I will do something similar today. More later.
Workouts and Rides
I plan to catalog and post as much of this data as I can. I have to get a battery for my Timex Bodylink so i can start logging ride data again. It tracks everything, heart rate, distance, time, elevation and every conceivable metric associated with said data. It is way more complex than I need, but tracking is distance, calories and time spent is what I'm after. For indoor work outs, I will leave a brief description of what I did and how long I spent. I may start logging Heart Rate data for indoor too, we'll just see how much trouble it is.
Day 2, End of New Years Holiday
That's right, back to work tomorrow after basically 2 weeks off. It is freezing here in the Upstate. At least for us, so I got no trail riding in this weekend. Highs in the mid 30's and very strong wind all day yesterday and today. Just no fun to be outside. So I sucked it up and worked out upstairs. My work out I'll post separately.
Back to work is not so bad, but I'll miss being at home with my wife and daughter. We have had a great holiday time together. But, I'll be in the gym every day, and not as tempted to snack. We bought lots of healthy groceries so we have lunches and snacks to take. Its critical to have good food choices close at hand because bad food is always easy.
Back to work is not so bad, but I'll miss being at home with my wife and daughter. We have had a great holiday time together. But, I'll be in the gym every day, and not as tempted to snack. We bought lots of healthy groceries so we have lunches and snacks to take. Its critical to have good food choices close at hand because bad food is always easy.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
!
Ok, so this is my first ever Blog Post. Seems a little silly since I don't expect anyone to read this. I have no plans to promote it on my Facebook or Twitter. At least not yet. Perhaps after I have some degree of success.
This blog (jeez I hate that word) actually starts almost 2 years ago. In February of 2008. I went to my regular family Dr. for a routine yearly physical. I was shocked to learn I weighed almost 280 lbs. I'm 5'10" and am a big quy. Built like a Rugby player, more than a cyclist. But 280, wow! The surprises didn't stop there. Was I ever disillusioned. Blood pressure: high enough to be put on a low dose of meds, with a diuretic included. Blood sugar, borderline high, no meds yet, just a stern warning to get it together. Acid reflux: check. Poor sleep: check, probably apnea I'm told. All wonderful news for a guy in his mid 30's with a 1 year old at home.
I heeded the warnings to a degree. I dropped 30 lbs pretty quick and in fNovember of 2009, it was still off, but no more had been lost. Doc kept me on the BP meds, but removed the diuretic, Glucose was fine and sleep was much better. But none of it is still what I want for myself, my health, my family. During this 2 year period, I was down to 225 during a brief stint of motivation. Still not where I need to be. I need an action plan and extra motivation?
I'm shooting for 180. My primary weapon, a 2006 Tomac Eli mountain bike. Custom built and sweet. More on that later. Also in the aresonal; a full gym at work, how easy is that! At home I have a great neighborhood to do laps on my Masi Soulville road bike, walk or jog. In doors I have a stationary trainer for my bikes, a Nordic Trac ACT Elliptical and a Marcy weight machine. I also have a Vew-Do balance board, balance ball, a 250 lb water bag and gloves. We even just got a Wii, which seems to provide some nice activity, especially compared to TV.
I am determined to make changes, it's not like I don't know how to eat, work out and recover. I do. I know. It's just not always easy or fun. (ie, the need for motivation)
The weekend after Thanksgiving 2009, a buddy convinced me to pull out my bike, and hit the local trail with him. I was all in. On that ride, with tired bodies and clear heads, we decided to make the 2010 Stump Jump race at Croft State Park (South Side) our goal. This trail system is a true jewel in Spartanburg, SC's otherwise lackluster crown. I understand the Stump Jump is a great event. So, I consider my self in training. I've been riding every weekend, eating better and working out. In November, during a follow up Dr. visit, I weighed 244 and my BP was low, so the meds got reduced again. So here is where I started to head in the other direction. I commit with the attitude that by Spring 2010, I'll be faster and leaner than ever. Dropping the hammer on flats, snapping crank arms on the steep pitches and bombing downhill runs with bike and body control I just can't pull off right now.
The real payoff of course, is how this new attitude and level of fitness will pay off in the rest of my life. Time spent with my wife and our girl. Camping, cruising on our bikes, paddling creeks, just beaching it. That will be the real pay off. But more on all that later.........
This blog (jeez I hate that word) actually starts almost 2 years ago. In February of 2008. I went to my regular family Dr. for a routine yearly physical. I was shocked to learn I weighed almost 280 lbs. I'm 5'10" and am a big quy. Built like a Rugby player, more than a cyclist. But 280, wow! The surprises didn't stop there. Was I ever disillusioned. Blood pressure: high enough to be put on a low dose of meds, with a diuretic included. Blood sugar, borderline high, no meds yet, just a stern warning to get it together. Acid reflux: check. Poor sleep: check, probably apnea I'm told. All wonderful news for a guy in his mid 30's with a 1 year old at home.
I heeded the warnings to a degree. I dropped 30 lbs pretty quick and in fNovember of 2009, it was still off, but no more had been lost. Doc kept me on the BP meds, but removed the diuretic, Glucose was fine and sleep was much better. But none of it is still what I want for myself, my health, my family. During this 2 year period, I was down to 225 during a brief stint of motivation. Still not where I need to be. I need an action plan and extra motivation?
I'm shooting for 180. My primary weapon, a 2006 Tomac Eli mountain bike. Custom built and sweet. More on that later. Also in the aresonal; a full gym at work, how easy is that! At home I have a great neighborhood to do laps on my Masi Soulville road bike, walk or jog. In doors I have a stationary trainer for my bikes, a Nordic Trac ACT Elliptical and a Marcy weight machine. I also have a Vew-Do balance board, balance ball, a 250 lb water bag and gloves. We even just got a Wii, which seems to provide some nice activity, especially compared to TV.
I am determined to make changes, it's not like I don't know how to eat, work out and recover. I do. I know. It's just not always easy or fun. (ie, the need for motivation)
The weekend after Thanksgiving 2009, a buddy convinced me to pull out my bike, and hit the local trail with him. I was all in. On that ride, with tired bodies and clear heads, we decided to make the 2010 Stump Jump race at Croft State Park (South Side) our goal. This trail system is a true jewel in Spartanburg, SC's otherwise lackluster crown. I understand the Stump Jump is a great event. So, I consider my self in training. I've been riding every weekend, eating better and working out. In November, during a follow up Dr. visit, I weighed 244 and my BP was low, so the meds got reduced again. So here is where I started to head in the other direction. I commit with the attitude that by Spring 2010, I'll be faster and leaner than ever. Dropping the hammer on flats, snapping crank arms on the steep pitches and bombing downhill runs with bike and body control I just can't pull off right now.
The real payoff of course, is how this new attitude and level of fitness will pay off in the rest of my life. Time spent with my wife and our girl. Camping, cruising on our bikes, paddling creeks, just beaching it. That will be the real pay off. But more on all that later.........
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